2/4/2019

INTELLIGENCE/ISIS/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “ISIS will claim victory over the US and is likely to regain territory as a result of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria, according to a new report released Monday [2-4-19] by the Pentagon’s Inspector General…The report, the first of its kind since Trump announced plans to pull all troops from Syria, also says “ISIS remains an active insurgent group in both Iraq and Syria’…However, a US official told CNN last week that some military and intelligence officials are concerned an ISIS resurgence could happen even sooner without the US counterterrorism presence. Trump acknowledged the possibility that ISIS and other terror groups could regain their strength in Syria if he withdraws or reduces troops in those countries and noted that he would send US forces back if they did.”

Ryan Brown and Barbara Starr, “Pentagon says ISIS likely to retake territory and claim ‘victory’ after US Syria withdrawal,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, February 4, 2019 12:20 am